New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-08-07
MONEYS CRAZY RAWLINGS.
THE CAPTAIN OF AN AMERICAN" LEGION
TELLING OF A SECRET ORGANIZATION FORMED TO
INSULT THE BRITISH FLAG.

Thomas g. Gibbons the young man In the dry goods
busne.s who has known Thomas J. Mooney, the dyns-
r,t.r for number Of years. and who an interview
about him to a reporter Friday received little sur
rse at his breakfasable yesterday This was an inno-
cent enough looking envelope, which, however on being
opened found TO contain threatening letter OF the
good olfashioned type. 1t was ornamented with the
roughly scrawled picture OF q coffin, on which sKuli
and crossbones rudey depicted and the coffin was
fanked on the right by pistol and on the 1911
by a dagger The letter was worded in the most
savage manner, full OF promises OF whas
would happen to Mr. Gibbons II ne zen
into the OF the senders and the reason alleged
was not so much that he had proclaimed Mooney
identity but that he had branded him as cranA' "o
signature simply IL X. L.
MI Gibbons to see Mooney about the matter
and when TEBusE reporter called at the Jefferson Mar
ket prison lie found Mr. Gibbons waiting IN the keeper
room and went upstairs with him Mr. Gibbons greesea
the prisoner handed him the letter anu a'heu n "n"'
Meo1ey looked at it, in its content. and said
any dear friend, pity your good intentions nave
been misinterpreted. AS soon as | READ whaf
you said In the published ,a1 interview me from
merisonment. You know as well as do that am
mot Sy p Sqt ss" %ho do the
ii shall certainly not urge this plea OF insanity,
S Ss if woad but shall not When
TO his motives In attempting 10 burn the queen ne
Spse sdry Waited 10 Insult the British nag
she Tying and 70 destroy It If possible and no s
Irishman' Every worthy American would have done
the He would have resented an insult to me
thn sslCIn vent S purposely to do considered
everything fair in and tpSE ae S
ed the reporter.
"Then to what Organization do you belong% o..
the aG q of nss 2u
American snip IN British Ta waters forced forced ,b IL
unto canPG ss Ts' %s. 1 shortly alter
the Legion took its origin on account OF taat OUT
trioc American citizens chiefly OF Irish extraction who
formally and sosmny resolved that or eyey e1a sboDd
be an English flag insuted by Americans in American
waters" ,.,,,
"why should any band of citizens take l. apon them
10 insults tad TaG es % CSan Suitable
and ample apology from England for insults directed
its duty to uphold the honor of the American Govern
ment and do the American Gorernm M S o"sy
LEGION Tue members We'd with one another for the
honor Of firing the flag OF the Queen and al secret
meeting this lei debate as to WHO should be appoint
cd explained that as the captain tho duty OF DONG u
devolved and finally after some dcns;On nsy
10 this decided ON doing lay WORK III oIou
daysGtmanaa wSy not iD broad I1s dayIsSt ana
should not The British nag lowered and nsued under
similar circumstances As have SAID took the
As he was in communicative moot. he was next asked
IL he responsible for the explosion on ihe Huyan,
the reporters that he had given himself away
in a confidential chat. He denied not not
Gnyyandotie affair bat even that be ever had such
@ TIta SsPta sps Gas a. an dccr
and gentleman 1t seems 20 me extraordinary tntI ne
should have given such interview TO tue newspapers
No honest man-no honest American would nave done
such cowarlly act and am not gong 10 aII u, uaa
said until | him myself. shall certainly ASK MIN
lie certainly made the statement, Mr. Mooney said
Wei replied the prisoner somewhat indignan,ly
Cant yourself that it Is utterly ridiculous 70
connect with the Guyandote AFFAIR." am nor nsnt-
Hmer,csn vessel does not help our cause bit. never
had any ground for inilcnng damage on AMERICAN
shipping and never once attempted TO DO So. $1,000.
AZ ms point the reporter again reverted to the attempt
on The Queen and asked Mooney 10 explain more fully
her and the reason it. This he did readily saying
The intention OF the Il. Legion was at first 70 go
but when we contemplated the possibility OF collision
with United states officers our plans were chaoge'
number and a: have sGla 10 y y%n.1 w sS
lives OF the ople board The Queen merely wanted
10 modest the British to annoy them. I soemnly de-
to fire the vessel but TO burn the British flag and again
say the members OF the Legion were not actustea ny
feelings of Irish Nationalist character out acted As
Americans who wanted to defend their nag ana protest
90 "a dispatc6 from London was published Yesterday
which stated that Captain Webb, OF the scotland YARD
Ss ss dynamer who under that and
the alias OF Moortead was associated WIN ierene9 NC
explosion the playhouse yard explosion. the
Quebec Parliament House explosion and the
blowing IN Of the Glasgow gas works McDermott Is
serving life for the Glasgow outrage aud
answering 10 MONEYS description IS wan.eu o on
the same charge. The nine associates VINO were con
demned various terms OF lmprisonnen ~ tue Nino
McDermott sentenced. December H. 1883 were ali
ignorant men many OF them could not sign their owe
names they knew nothing about the nature ono use OF
and everything Indicated at the time of the trial that be-
sides McDermott. who was moro an organizer than a
dynamite expert, there some one OF consideraoe
chemical skill who had manufactured the bombs ana
given drecslons regarding their USE The police think
that many circumstances point to Mooney as tnis per-
son; and the British officials are convinced OF
his identity from the description sent TO men,
was an exact reproductsn OF one found In
the IF tine IN British bison DaS
was said to belong the Clanns Gael Association and
loo was nen5er Of it iii recently, when he had
quarrel With tne Executive Committee whlch edosou
deed to the Executive Committee 70 DIS ienus
The reporIer told Mooney about OF his
tecedents which had come from England ana asked nun
as their T truth m Me SS .y %ere not a
done some good work In the irish cause
s ssiS a' Indeed glory f% hS 1 ia ashamed Oh
The moderate section OF the Irish party here cling to
British Government, whose sole ann is M 10
Srng GssrSG5 ea snsr hs the British
ment would make an attempt 70 nave nm eAtrao Yh
and try him for his alleged misdeeds IN bfitah nc
British Aciiug-Cons Mr. Hoare when asked aoont
this said: do not know what steps are going 10 De
sands Wb ,s the Sew-York police have got it, The
tradition Of Mooney may involve nice point 10 nterna
NAV be but II asked for consprator or
poca oen der Is likely that he Will be given up
Tho Guyandotte arrived at her pier yesterday
go far as could be learned no effort was
made by her captain or crew 10 idenuIy
Mooney CAPTAIN Gastin, however, is sanguine on the
subject claims that he has clews whlch VIII ead 10
Mo0ueys conviction for the uyand0tte explosion Inc
men who are coming daily contact with the prisoner
are beginning TO entertain the CONVICTION non
sSns he thas P no man - VINO converse.
so inteigently all subjects can have much OF the
"crank about him. He Is quiet wellbehaved pris-
orer and expresses himself satisfied with his treat
ment Mr. Gibbons. who At first called him crank, sara
Yesterday: In saying Mooney was crank on dyna-
mite matters. only spoke OF friend sohctous for a
friends safety. He is no 'cranG A.,
Mooney casually acknowledged that he drafted the
proclamation posted in Broadway few days ago. wnlcn
advised American citizens practically TO boycott BRUSH
passenger vessels This signed by the Captain oil
the Legion" The report Moneys mental condition